mothers day - Stuff Parents Need

There’s Still Time for Great Mother’s Day Gifts at a Great Price (Groupon Goods to the Rescue)

April 30, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Thanks to my friends over at Groupon Goods for partnering with me today and putting together this great list of fabulous gift ideas that are also smokin’ hot deals. I’d love to hear what you are hoping for this Mother’s Day!

Mother’s day is just around the corner and we couldn’t think of a better gift than something that makes kid wrangling just a tad easier. Moms are super heroes, event planners, and need to have the agility of professional athletes. They also deserve a serious break. Give a gift of sanity this mother’s day and remember moms want to be cool too. These gifts are mom and kid proof- no returns necessary.

Carry All Tote

Diaper bags can be a drag to a mom’s shoulders and to their style but if they have to tote around the world, make it a cute tote. Reboot their style with a tote that can double as a carry all and a stylish accessory. They will have room for toys, snacks, and a little street style. The size will let them haul all of their non-negotiables- and of course everyone else’s too.

Reversible Vegan Leather Tote, $48.00 at Nordstrom

Sneakers

Running after little ones can seem like an 18-year free gym membership. Moms need the best support they can get without forgoing style. Sneakers are great but who has time to tie the laces or wants the bulkiness of a running shoe?

Try these Nylon slip-ons or no-tie Converses for a shoe that is worthy of a space in mom’s closet and also their daily half-marathon.

Avalon Nylon Slip-On and Shoreline Sneaker, $58.95 and $49.95 at Nordstrom

Watch

Keeping track of their schedule and their kids schedule can leave mom with a major headache. When iCal isn’t enough, try a time-piece that can keep a busy mom on track. It’s an easy basic they’ll always have with them that will keep mom feeling stylish and on time for the school carpool. This is the best way to work jewelry into a mom’s practical lifestyle and give her a gift that will be for both her and the kids.

Gramercy Grand Bracelet Watch, $168.75 at Nordstrom

The Child Who Took Me By Surprise #ThanksBaby

May 8, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

This post brought to you by Walmart. All opinions are 100% mine.

At 8:26am ET, on this day 2 years ago exactly, my second child was born and I was beginning my journey of being a mother for the second time.

But as it turns out, I wasn’t going to do the “mom thing” one more time. I was actually going to become a whole new mother. I didn’t realize that was going to happen, as I truly assumed that I had the whole parenting thing figured out and hat my second would pretty much be a carbon copy of my first.

Any parent out there with more than 1 child who is reading this is likely chuckling, because you know I was SOOOOO off base! I should have been clued in when my labor, which everyone swore up and down would be faster and easier the second time around, was significantly harder. I labored on my own for many hours, and then made the switch to the blessed epidural, only to have it only work on half of my body.

It seems little Layah wanted her presence to be “felt” from the very beginning. And feel it, I did, friends! My little Layah Wren, with a sweet, gentle name that reminds one of a sci-fi princess and a tiny little bird, is more like a Jedi than a figurehead, and more like a soaring eagle than a meek songbird.

She has grown me as a mother tenfold, and she has grown her sister tenfold, too. Darah was the apple of my eye exclusively until May 7th, 2012, when she became the apple of Layah’s eye, and the role model. What a beautiful thing it has been to watch Darah fill that tall order to be, as Glennon from Momastery puts it, the left lung for her sister. But she has done it, and the sight of it makes me positively dizzy with joy.

You were not what I imagined you would be, little Layah, yet you are infinitely more than I could have dared to dream.

Pampers Celebrate’s #ThanksBaby Moments for Mother’s Day

I imagine that the mothers out there reading this post can relate to all the surprises and joys that come from the journey of becoming a mother. It’s rarely what we expected it would be, and yet, all the hard parts of parenting (and there are MANY hard parts!) seem to be a necessary part of the story. Pampers totally gets this feeling, and I think they captured it well with their Pampers Mother’s Day video. Please take a moment to watch this adorable Pamper Mother’s Day Video and be sure to share it with your friends when you are finished.

What lessons has your baby taught you that you are thankful for this Mother’s Day? photo Pampers1_zps88131bda.png

I Want to Know: What’s Your Take on the Perfect Mother’s Day Gift?

March 10, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 3 Comments

Thanks to Paula Miles for partnering with me on this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.

Ok, so this infographic really got me thinking about mom’s really and truly want for Mother’s Day.

Escape and unwind with a pamper session at home by making use of your preferred body and foot care products.

I’m going to be truthful with you and tell you that with the exception of my very first Mother’s Day, when we spent the day together as a family doing things like having a picnic and taking walks, I have asked for the same thing every year: a day to myself.

I’ve wondered if it has been a counter-intuitive request: on the day to celebrate mom and how wonderful she is, all she asks for is to be left alone. I’ve even had a few people tell me that they think it is a selfish request. And on some level, I’d have to agree with them. It is completely self-serving to ask for a day to myself.

And yet, I think it is also a gift that helps me be a better mother on the day after Mother’s Day, and the day after that, etc. Moms are typically not so good at self care, and so we press on with our duties until we reach a breaking point. I’ve actually gotten fairly decent at seeing the warning signs for an impending breakdown, and Tim is very accommodating about helping me get whatever sort of “time out” I might need. Usually that looks like dinner in my room by myself so I can eat in peace and watch a television show online that I like, or take a bubble bath. During especially rough days, I’ve been known to do all 3 things at once! But an entire day to myself is still a very rare thing, and it is VERY rejuvenating. It truly feels like a gift because it goes a long way toward restoring my depleted resources.

Still, I found it interesting that according to the infographic above, only 1/3 of moms are interested in the gift I request. Perhaps other moms are even better than me at keeping their self-care in check. Or perhaps it is the case that as kids get older, the need for that type of break from them becomes less necessary? I’m not really sure, but I’d love to hear what you really want for Mother’s Day.